Forty years ago this month vintage military vehicles used in the making of the multi-million blockbuster movie “A Bridge Too Far” were loaded onto a ferry at the docks to be transported to Zeebrugge.

Now a group of enthusiasts have celebrated the 40th anniversary of this event by meeting up in the docks again. Thanks to A&P Falmouth’s newly appointed managing director Gerald Pitts a number of vehicles arrived at the docks in convoy before parking up in front of the dry-docks.

It was in April 1976 that the Sealink ferry Cambridge Ferry berthed on the inside of the Northern Arm to load the cargo comprising of 103 American, German and British wartime vehicles along with some guns and motor cycles. The collection of military hardware came from the late Charlie Mann’s Museum at Lamanva.

It was from here that the anniversary convoy departed thanks to Richard Mann and Liz Moore.

Adrian Snell from Penryn and Brian Sanders from Longdowns, who arranged the event said: “We would like to thank Gerald Pitts and his staff for allowing us access to the docks.“

Brian Sanders and Ralph Berryman were part of Charlie Mann’s team and he spent six months in Belgium during the filming. He said: “ We had the pleasure of meeting and talking with many of the stars.”

Onboard the Cambridge Ferry in 1976 was former Falmouth dock master Captain Jim Skelley. Speaking from his home in Greece he said: “I was Chief Officer on the Cambridge Ferry at the time and remember it well. A Harwich train ferry, we berthed south of the Northern Arm up against the Western on a pontoon with some ramps leading down on which all the vehicles were shipped. We then took them to Zeebrugge for onwards transportation to Arnhem. Managed a quick pint at Chain Locker (later to be my local) before departure.”

The Hollywood production directed by Sir Richard Attenborough, and produced by Joseph E. Levine, included, Anthony Hopkins, Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Robert Redford, Sir Laurence Oliver and a whole host of other well known stars.